


Turn Into Something Beautiful

by lgbtmantis



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: (kind of), Domestic Fluff, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, F/F, Fluff, Marvel Universe, Mutual Pining, The beginning SUCKS but it gets better I promise, author is a sap, this is my first fic pls dont slaughter me if its terrible
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 09:19:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16083137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lgbtmantis/pseuds/lgbtmantis
Summary: Nebula reminisces on how her relationship with Mantis began.Un-beta'd and un-edited. Please go easy on me. Enjoy :)





	Turn Into Something Beautiful

“Why are you letting me win?” Nebula exclaimed, after making Quill tap out for the third time in a row. “It won’t help anyone if you don’t make me work hard! You know that!”  


“Nebula, trust me, I’m not letting you win because I feel sorry for you. It seems as though you have a secret admirer.” Peter remarked, having noticed a familiar pair of antennae through the window 10 minutes prior.  


Nebula, glancing behind herself to just in time catch an adorable pair of antennae turning away, denied everything. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never looked at Mantis that way and am painfully sure she doesn’t think of me that way, either.”  


“Think what you want, Nebula, but she’s been intently watching you the entire time I’ve known she was there. Are you sure you don’t want to pull on that thread?” Peter questioned, secretly hoping Nebula would confront Mantis about it.

 

Nebula of course wanted to pull on that thread. She first started looking at Mantis in a romantic light after Mantis fell asleep in her chair on the Milano. Nebula saw Mantis’ distraught hair, her eyes flickering behind her eyelids, and the small amount of drool coming out of her mouth and felt something she had never felt before. She quickly and quietly went to her room and got her favorite yellow blanket and draped it over Mantis’ soundless body. She couldn’t do anything else.  


Nebula stayed right next to Mantis while she slept, sitting on the floor and leaning against some cabinets, threatening anyone in close proximity who made any noise above a whisper. She felt creepy, sure, but she couldn’t stop herself from watching Mantis sleeping. She was so beautiful like that. Usually Mantis’ face is creased with worry, likely from the pressures of knowing others’ emotions. But in sleep, Mantis was so peaceful. So beautiful. Nebula had noticed her beauty before, of course (you would have to be crazy not to, Nebula thought), but it was amplified by 100 while she was asleep.  


Nebula awoke to her shoulder being shaked and her neck hurting. She opened her eyes and Mantis was leaning down, waking her from her spot on the floor, across from Mantis’ chair.  


“Sorry...I didn’t know if you’d want me to wake you. It’s morning.” Mantis said, eyes pouring into Nebula’s soul. Somehow Nebula felt as though Mantis knew what had happened last night, even though she was asleep the entire time.  


Nebula shook Mantis’ hand off her shoulder. “Yeah. Thanks,” she said, quickly getting up and halfway-running from Mantis, paranoid that she knew.

 

Nebula came out of her room later in the day to find that her yellow blanket was draped over the back of Mantis’ chair. She found that she didn’t mind it. In fact, she actually liked knowing that Mantis could use her blanket if she was ever cold.  


No one ever knew where the yellow blanket came from. Nebula kept her favorite color a well-hidden secret. Mantis told everyone that she found it in the box she kept from her time with Ego, though both women knew that wasn’t the case. Mantis suspected the yellow blanket was Nebula’s, but it was soft and warm and smelled like Nebula; Unless Nebula directly asked for it back, Mantis wasn’t parting with it.  


From then on, the yellow blanket was Mantis’. She was rarely seen without it, cuddling up with it every time she say in her chair. Using it every time the team watched a movie. Draping it over her shoulders like a cloak every time she wanted some water but didn’t want to be cold on the short walk to the kitchen. Nebula thought she would hate it, seeing her favorite blanket being so heavily used by someone else. But she….loved it. Seeing the comfort she was able to bring another person did so much for Nebula’s mental well-being. Every time she saw Mantis using it, she got butterflies.  


They lived like that for weeks. In suspended animation. Giving each other glances as they passed each other in the hallway and secretly staring at one another, but quickly averting their eyes when caught looking.  


Sometimes Nebula would have a bad day. Her trauma-filled mind would get the best of her and she would remain in her room all day. On her bad days, when she opened her bedroom door, her yellow blanket would be sitting there, next to a cup of hot chocolate that was still warm. Nebula always returned the blanket to Mantis’ chair the next morning.  


Other days, Mantis would have a hard time. She would sit and watch TV for hours, wrapped up in yellow, unresponsive and unblinking. Nebula would always come keep her company, no matter what terrible TV show Mantis elected to turn on. It didn’t matter if Mantis spoke a single word. Nebula was there, no matter what. Mantis would end up falling asleep with her head propped up on the arm of the couch and Nebula, gentle as ever, would try and ease her body into a more comfortable position so that her neck wouldn’t hurt when she woke.  


No matter how much Mantis did for Nebula, Nebula was always sure to return the favor. And no matter how much Nebula did for Mantis, Mantis always turned around and did the same for Nebula. It was unconventional. It was unspoken. But it was perfect. And neither Nebula nor Mantis would’ve wanted it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Coldplay's "Yellow" (for obvious reasons).
> 
> Hope you enjoyed :)


End file.
